Page 60 of Forever My Siren Luna

“Hey, Lachlan?” I slowed down to match his pace. “Are Meldec and Cedric mated yet?”

He shook his head solemnly. “Not yet. Cedric wanted to wait.”

“For what?”

He gave me a scrutinizing look. “Cedric blamed himself a lot for your disappearance. He was with Mel when you swam away, so he’s been holding him at arms length since.”

My stomach dropped, guilt filling me. Poor Mel. I need to apologize to Cedric, and talk things out so he knows it’s not his fault what happened before.

I’ve decided all blame should be assigned to my Uncle. He was the catalyst of everyone’s unhappiness. Yes, we all made mistakes, some more than others, but he was the origin of all this.

Which is why I’m going to kill him. Painfully.

“Very painfully,” Val agreed.

“I’ll talk with Cedric,” I told Lachlan. “It wasn’t his fault.”

Lachlan smiled sadly. “I know Mel would appreciate that.”

“I’ll have Mel and Kent help me with something so you have time alone with Cedric,” Lachlan said, opening the door for me that leads back out towards the warrior’s training grounds.

“Thank you,” I smiled. That will make it less awkward for me and I appreciate it. I don’t think Meldec has ever been my biggest fan. Since he has been forced to wait for his mate because of me, I don’t blame him.

“I want you to do something for me in return.” Lachlan's voice was decisive, full of determination.

I stopped short, eyeing him skeptically. “I hardly think that this favor is an equal measure to me staying out of the fighting.”

Lachlan huffed. “I’m not naive enough to think that would work. You have gotten frustratingly stubborn in your time away.”

“I think I was fairly stubborn before,” I grinned. “I just have something to channel all my stubbornity into now.”

“It’s true,” he chuckled. “You always took a front at the most exasperating times.”

“Excuse me,” I scoffed. “I am not exasperating. I take quite an offense to that.”

Lachlan stares accusingly at me, then his eyes wander down to my pants he seems to hate.

“My pants are exasperating?” I fold my arms and glare.

“A bit, yeah. I am having a hard enough time giving in to your demands and holding myself back. Sacrificing because of my love for you is one thing, but then seeing you wear things so provocative is making it hard for me to keep my hands and mind off….things.”

Val turned giddy inside of me, understanding why it's so hard to see me in these pants.

“He wants to put his hands on you,”she snickers like a schoolgirl. “Who knew pants would get him going instead of a skirt?”

“You aren’t offended?”I asked her. She seemed to always be looking for a fight and I thought her stance on me wearing pants was something she was willing to fight about. She doesn’t like being put into that weak female box that many men often want to put women into where they have to wear skirts and stay home. We did that before and she is much happier now.

“He’s not saying not to wear them,”she huffed,“He just said that they make him want to touch you. Let him touch you. I think that’s a win-win. Unless you don’t want him touching you, then I understand. I can feel that you do, though...”

She’s right. I don’t like being belittled or underestimated, but if the issue is just with his attraction to me…..

I kind of like that.

“So,” I tried to keep the smile off my face and lift an eyebrow, “if I were to allow you to touch me would you be okay with me wearing these pants?”

“Yes,” he deadpanned. “I’m still an alpha and you are still my mate, Lira. Seeing you be so….alluring without the ability to declare you to be mine is a struggle.”

I can’t help it but to smile now. I like his honesty.